Kerry's casebook: Feeling bloated

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Posted at 12:02PM, 18 January 2013 by Kerry Torrens - Nutritional therapist

As a nutritional therapist, Kerry sees up to 15 clients each week. Here she explains how to beat the dreaded bloat...

Bloating affects many of us, and for one of my clients, a woman in her late fifties, it had become a daily disruption. After visiting her GP to rule out medical problems, she came to me. I asked her to keep a food and symptom diary, and found that, like many working women, she ate her main meal at night, while she grazed and ate on the hoof the rest of the day.

Because she was watching her weight, she selected 'diet' foods, some of which contain sweeteners like sorbitol, which can aggravate intestinal symptoms. She also chose quick-to-cook evening meals, such as prepared pasta or potato salads, oven chips, par-baked breads and pizza bases. The carbs in these foods contain 'resistant starches', which are not completely digested, so may lead to fermentation and gas.

My advice to this client was...

Sit down to eat, take time over your food and chew well.

Spread your food intake throughout the day and, when possible, make lunch your main meal.

Snack on fruit and veg sticks or oatcakes instead of diet foods.

Swap resistant, starchy carbs for freshly cooked foods, including fresh (not dried) pasta, baked potatoes, fresh breads and boiled rice.

Gradually add more gentle, soluble fibre in the form of oats, ground flaxseed, fruit and vegetables.

The result?

In three weeks my client's symptoms had eased, and at her six-month review she reported a significant improvement.

Recipe suggestions...

Walnut & raisin oatcakes
Perfect porridge
Easy-bake bread
Crisp baked potatoes
Mushroom & rice one-pot
Super-veg pasta

How to make your own...

Making pasta video guide
Baking bread video guide
Cooking rice video guide

Do you often feel bloated or have you managed to overcome digestive issues? let us know below.

Comments

Ruth

7 March, 9:02AM
Ruth

Onions are my downfall. I love onions and they're too cheap not to use in everything, but I do have to be careful. My Mum finds cucumber hard to digest and now peels it, which also seems to help.

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